Youth softball tournament brings thousands from across US to MS Coast during COVID-19
With COVID-19 cases rising across the state, sports venues like the Gulfport Sportsplex haven’t seen much action since March.
This week, the National Fastball Alliance is hosting a youth softball championship tournament for travel teams from across the country. Players ranging from 8 to 18 years old are on the Mississippi Coast from as far away as Oklahoma, Illinois and New Mexico and as close as Louisiana and Florida.
The tournament includes 80 teams with 14 players per team, one or two coaches and up to two family members per player. Estimating one family member per player and two coaches per team, that’s 2,400-2,500 visitors to the Coast.
The games have been divided across 15 fields in Gulfport, D’Iberville and Ocean Springs. They are spaced two-and-a-half hours apart to help keep teams and fans from congregating near fields and on the concourses.
Gulfport Sportsplex Administrator Kirby Jones told the Sun Herald that the venue has placed extensive signage around the fields explaining new precautions and guidelines for teams and fans.
“We’re committed to safety. It’s our first and foremost concern,” Jones said. “It’s not perfect, but we’re doing the best we can.”
Signs posted throughout the fields and concourses show guidelines that include:
- Concession stands are closed
- Bleachers are prohibited, fans must stand or use chairs
- Fans from different households are asked to stay 6 feet apart
- Fan attendance is limited to two household members of each player on their field during games
- Sunflower seeds are prohibited
Just over a week ago on July 9, Gov. Tate Reeves issued new restrictions for Harrison, Jackson and 11 other counties require masks in public and limit outdoor gatherings to 20 people or fewer. Coronavirus cases have been skyrocketing in Harrison County with 274 cases added since last Friday.
“When we heard about the governor releasing his new orders, we took a look to see what we could do to bring safer conditions,” Jones said. “We are very concerned about safety here.”
When the orders were announced, many of the teams were already in Gulfport, Jones said. Travel ball teams pay hundreds of dollars to participate in summer tournaments. Sports such as softball and baseball had their seasons canceled because for the coronavirus.
Jones said the city approved the tournament, so the games continued with those precautions in place.
Masks were provided at the tournament and Jones said that fans were “encouraged” to wear them. Jones said they can not “force” fans to wear them.
Reeves said Friday that Harrison County and Jackson County’s mask mandate would be extended another two weeks. Masks are to be worn inside in public places and outside where people cannot be socially distant. In sports complexes, face masks “shall” be worn indoors and outdoors when social distancing cannot be achieved, the executive order states.
The Sun Herald went out to games on Friday afternoon, and some of the guidelines were not being followed by fans. While some fans were social distancing, others were closely seated along field’s fences and sitting on bleachers. Fans that were not social distancing were also not wearing masks.
When asked about the guidelines not being followed, Jones said he was going to address it. He said there are staff members and COVID-response members who are supposed to encourage the guidelines and enforce guidelines.
“You can’t see everything at once, but we’ll make sure we double down,” Jones said. “We try to enforce these guidelines to the extent that we can.”
Jones said there hasn’t been any complaints so far to the sportsplex, and that it seems fans and teams are having a good time. He told the Sun Herald he planned to go out to the fields to see that guidelines were followed for the remainder of the tournament.
“There’s no way we can make It perfect, but we hope we do enough to where everyone goes home after a good time and with good health,” he said.
This story was originally published July 18, 2020 at 7:15 AM.